Writing
Gurnek has written on embedding purpose in our work, how to gain cultural intelligence and the migrant experience in Britain. He also writes regularly for Psychology Today and NOUS Lens Blog.
BOOKS
England Our England:
Stories of the Black and Asian Migrant Pioneers
GURNEK BAINS, KYLIE BAINS AND BRYONY HEARD
PUBLISHED 19 NOVEMBER 2020An important piece of our British history illustrated so beautifully, this book honours the lives of the ‘silent generation’ of African, Caribbean and Asian migrant pioneers. It features interviews with Russell Henderson, co-founder of the Notting Hill Carnival, Yvonne Bailey-Smith, mother of novelist Zadie Smith, playwright Mustapha Matura, film director Horace Ové and Deloris Smith, mother of singer Beverley Knight.
Starting in the late 1950s, England experienced an unparalleled wave of migration from Africa, the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent. Seventy years on England Our England captures the experiences of this generation and their families in vivid, evocative and striking photography, much of it published for the first time, and in first-hand accounts from the people themselves. The book pays respect and homage to those who made extraordinary sacrifices, coping with, until now, challenges that were often invisible. It provides a fascinating social history and an evocative record of both the migrant experience and of the lives established here.
As children of first-generation migrants, Gurnek, Kylie and Bryony felt compelled to put these stories to paper to hand down to our children and the generations that follow. It was a labour of love and we applaud them for doing so.
Cultural DNA:
The Psychology of Globalisation
Cultural DNA is a thought provoking book for successful engagement with cultures around the world. Presenting ground breaking original research and the latest evidence from neuroscience, behavioral genetics, and psychology, the deepest instincts of eight key global cultures are dissected. Readers will understand the psychological themes at play in regions such as the U.S., Latin America, Europe, China, India, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Australia.
Each culture has attributes that developed over thousands of years to address unique environmental challenges. This DNA drumbeat from the past reverberates through each society affecting everything. Globalisation demands that cultures learn to work within each other’s needs and expectations, and the right mix of people skills, business acumen, and cultural awareness is key.
Every now and again a new book comes along, that is a must read: Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point or a Seth Godin’s Tribes. Cultural DNA, by virtue of its depth, originality and ambition, is that very book for all global leaders.
GURNEK BAINS
PUBLISHED 17 MARCH 2015
Meaning Inc.
The Blueprint for Business Success in the 21st Century
GURNEK BAINS
PUBLISHED 2007Meaning Inc. is about achieving happiness, motivation and performance at work for you and your organisation. Well-motivated people who are happy with their work and where they work are more likely to deliver high performance. People who work for organisations whose purpose they believe in are more likely to go the extra mile to help achieve that purpose. Yet modern organisations too often stifle the enthusiasm and skills of those who work for them. Instead of providing meaning, they prevent it. Meaning Inc. shows the way for organisations to provide meaning to their people through a clearly understood sense of purpose, unequivocal values and day-to-day leadership. This is joined-up business thinking for 21st century leaders and organisations.
ARTICLES